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Agency Wins 8 New Digital Lifestyle and Enterprise Software Clients

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0600

San Francisco, CA - April 16, 2007 - Horn Group, Inc. today announced the addition of eight new public relations and digital marketing accounts across its offices in San Francisco, Boston and New York. Annual revenue from these new clients is expected to be close to $2 million. In keeping with the agency's integrated approach, this new business includes strategic marketing, creative branding, public relations, and web design work.

"The market continues to respond to our approach, especially those in consumer and digital media markets," said Sabrina Horn, President and CEO of Horn Group. "It's competitive out there and we're proud these companies have chosen us for our capabilities and our reputation for results."

San Francisco Wins Consumer Clients PageFlakes and Delivery Agent
Pageflakes, San Francisco, CA, provides a personalized start page which allows consumers to easily integrate their favorite online information in one portal. Delivery Agent, San Francisco, CA, builds e-commerce platforms for media and entertainment properties, including major television networks and movie studios. Delivery Agent also runs the website SeenON! for consumers who want to purchase apparel and goods as seen on their favorite TV celebrities. Both companies have joined Horn Group as PR clients with potential to sign up for other communications services in the future. In March, the agency also began working with CMP Technology, Inc. to conduct the media strategy and publicity for its growing Interop 2007 conference in May.

Boston Typifies Agency's National Reach and Integrated Approach
Horn Group's Boston, MA office signed three clients headquartered outside of Massachusetts. RippleTech, Conshohocken, PA, (data access intelligence); Intraware, Orinda, CA (on-demand delivery and management of digital assets); and XAware, Colorado Springs, CO (SOA data integration software and services) are all fully integrated accounts with campaigns ranging from rebranding and website design to development of sales collateral and ongoing public relations.

New York Office Adds Three New Accounts
Horn Group New York continues its fast growth with three new clients. Both in New York, NY, KickApps (a web-based platform for user generated content and media) and Venaca (digital asset management) join the client roster as integrated accounts. BlueTie, Rochester, NY (productivity and collaboration software for small businesses) is a public relations account.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a strategic communications firm specializing in PR and digital marketing. The agency represents technology companies at every stage of growth to help them tell their stories to the people that matter in print, in person and on the web. Services include brand and message development, creative design, media strategy, public relations, and web development. The agency was recently awarded the Web Marketing Association's 2006 WebAward and the 2006 Bell Ringer Award for media relations. Horn Group was ranked best-mid sized agency in PRSourceCode 2005 survey of reporters and the firm continues to be noted as a Best Agency to Work For in the Holmes Report. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in San Francisco, New York and Boston. Visit www.horngroup.com.

Agency's 2006 Advisory Council Announced

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Monday, November 14, 2005, San Francisco, CA - Horn Group today announced its 2006 Advisory Council members. This trusted group's mission is to help guide Horn Group in its quest for exceptional client service and business practices. Since its inception several years ago, a number of new people have joined this remarkable group. Here is a complete list of the agency's Advisory Council members:

Rick Bergquist, Former Chief Technology Officer, PeopleSoft, Inc., Pleasanton, CA
Maureen Blanc, Founder, Blanc & Otus, San Francisco, CA
Charles Curran, Partner, Valhalla Ventures, Vienna, VA
Giles Fraser, Co-Founder, Brands2Life, Inc., London, England
Bill Hewitt, Chief Marketing Officer, Novell, Inc., Waltham, MA
Judith Hurwitz, President, Hurwitz Associates, Waltham, MA
Louise Kehoe, Media Consultant, Former Reporter, Financial Times, San Mateo, CA
Darlene Mann, President, CEO, Siperian, Inc., San Mateo, CA
MR Rangaswami, Founder, Sand Hill Group, San Francisco, CA
Bruce Richardson, Executive Vice President, AMR Research, Boston, MA
Roger Sippl, Co-Founder, Chairman, Above All Software, Redwood City, CA
Peter Sobiloff, Managing Director, Insight Venture Partners, New York, NY
Jeanne Sullivan, General Partner, StarVest Partners, New York, NY
Sam Whitmore, President, SWMS MediaSurvey, Inc., Boston, MA

As part of the Horn Group Network, council members also serve as extended resources to Horn Group clients and its wider circle of friends. The group represents a complete cross-section of the software industry - software leaders, serial entrepreneurs, media and analyst influencers, investors and international communications experts.

Brands2Life and Horn Group Announce the Constella Network for Global Communications

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0700

London and San Francisco - November 15, 2006 - Brands2Life and Horn Group today introduced the Constella Network - a global alliance of communications agencies across 20 countries. The network includes 15 independent firms across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. Unlike other agency networks, Constella is built upon specific guiding principles and global best practices designed to give clients a single agency network experience and superior local results. Via the two founding agencies, Constella Network partners have close working relationships and joint client experience not offered by other alliances.

Brands2Life and Horn Group have been partners for three years. Together, the two agencies saw the need to provide technology companies with an alternative for global communications and public relations campaign management. The Constella Network was built to preserve the agile and responsive trademarks of boutique agencies while still providing the infrastructure of a larger network when the need arises. Traditionally, independent agencies have been a popular choice for many organizations but have had difficulty scaling to provide clients a common standard of service and results on a multi-national basis.

Constella Network partners are partially motivated by a financial incentive for stimulating business across the network. Over time, additional Constella Network partners will be added for further geographic coverage without losing the intimacy and selectivity of the network. Participating agencies are not exclusive to the Constella Network and are free to work with other partners.

The Americas
A Constella Network co-founder, Horn Group services clients across the United States from its three offices in the national technology and media markets San Francisco, Boston and New York. The Canadian market is represented by MAVERICK PR based in Toronto, Ontario. The Jeffrey Group serves clients throughout Latin America from offices in Miami, New York, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and São Paulo.

Europe
Brands2Life covers the UK and is the European hub for the Constella Network. Other European partners include Lammers Van Toorenburg (Benelux), Point Virgule (France), Fink & Fuchs Public Relations, MaCS Marketing-Communications-Services, PR-Com (Germany), Canela (Spain), Now PR (Italy), and Westmark Information (Sweden).

Asia/Pacific
Initially, there are two Constella Network partners in Asia/Pacific representing six countries. Upstream Asia has a strong direct presence with offices in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. EastWei PR, which Horn Group has worked with for more than five years, is the lead partner in China.

"An advantage of a network made up of independent boutiques is instant access to real relationships, not just introductions," said Paul Mottram, chief operating officer at Upstream Asia. "In the few short weeks we have been associated with the Constella Network, we have uncovered a prospective client and identified a common interest in employee exchanges across participating agencies."

Technology Companies Embrace Best Practices
Technology companies are particularly receptive to the working best practices that bind the Constella Network partners. The most common complaints of clients with global PR programs revolve around lack of communication, coordination and shared accountability across multiple agencies. Brands2Life and Horn Group worked with the Constella Network partners to define guiding principles for best practices including global product launches, results measurement and account management. Constella Network partners collaborate on a WIKI that acts as a unifying technology platform.

"The value of the Constella Network is in its tight integration of PR processes and workflow," said Rick Faulk, Chief Marketing Officer at WebEx, a client of six Constella Network agencies. "It's harder than it seems to find a network of like-minded agencies with the same vision and approach to helping clients effectively develop, coordinate and execute global communications programs. The Constella Network was built on more than a handshake."

"Constella is a great resource for a fast growing company like Kalido," said Bill Hewitt, president and CEO at Kalido, a software company that has worked with both Brands2Life and Horn Group for three years. "Both firms bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to bear, and this new alliance will allow us to leverage their resources more effectively as we grow and extend our geographic reach. It's a great idea, and in my opinion, the way strategic marketers will work in the future."

About Brands2Life
Giles Fraser and Sarah Scales founded Brands2Life in April 2000. Brands2Life helps technology-driven companies of all sizes to build and communicate their brands to sell more and gain leadership and profile with businesses and consumers alike. Clients include: 3i, Borland, Business Objects, Business Software Alliance, Cisco Systems, Clearswift, Corizon, Informa Telecoms & Media, Kelkoo.co.uk, LEK Management Consultants, Logitech, Micro Focus, Netonomy, RS Components, Stepstone, SunGard Availability Services, T-Mobile, WebEx and Yahoo!. Visit www.brands2life.com for more information.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a strategic communications firm specializing in PR and digital marketing. The agency represents technology companies at every stage of growth to help them tell their stories to the people that matter in print, in person and on the web. Services include brand and message development, creative design, media strategy, public relations, and web development. The agency was recently awarded the Web Marketing Association's 2006 WebAward and the 2006 Bell Ringer Award for media relations. Horn Group was ranked best-mid sized agency in PRSourceCode 2005 survey of reporters and the firm continues to be noted as a Best Agency to Work For in the Holmes Report. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in San Francisco, New York and Boston. Visit www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Adds New Leadership Nationwide

Tue, 24 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0600

August 24, 2004 - San Francisco, Calif. - Horn Group, Inc. today announced four strategic additions to its senior staff in the company's San Francisco, Boston and New York offices. The recent appointments bring an infusion of new talent to Horn Group that represents 50 years of experience in technology PR and marketing, crisis communications, operations, consumer PR, sales strategy, financial communications, as well as domain expertise in healthcare, government and telecommunications industries. The appointments include Dee Anna McPherson, principal, and Katie Huang Shin, managing director, both in San Francisco; Glen Hartman, managing director in Boston; and Michelle Cox, director in New York.

"We have built Horn Group on the premise that our people are our greatest assets. This has required discipline for the highest possible standards of excellence in our hiring practices," said Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group. "The response to Dee Anna, Katie, Glen and Michelle, from both clients and employees, has already exceeded our expectations. Together with my partners Mara Bartucca and Shannon Latta, I am delighted to include such distinguished professionals on the Horn Group team."

Appointment and Promotion in San Francisco
Dee Anna McPherson, principal in Horn Group's San Francisco office, joined in June. She has 14 years of experience in technology public relations at both industry-leading software companies and top PR firms. Most recently, she was senior vice president at Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations where she was head of the California technology practice. She lead accounts including Sun Microsystems and was responsible for PR strategy and annual client service in excess of $4 million. Previously, she was Director of Worldwide Public Relations at PeopleSoft, Inc. where she oversaw corporate, product and industry programs. She also managed public relations for PeopleSoft's acquisition of J.D. Edwards and Oracle's hostile takeover attempt.

Dee Anna also served as Senior Director, Worldwide Public Relations at Vitria Technology and Senior Vice President at Edelman Public Relations. During 8 years at Edelman, she was a member of the senior leadership team in San Francisco, launched three offices in Texas and helped build the Edelman practice in New York. Under her leadership, Edelman's Texas technology practice grew to include 40 people and $4.5 million in revenue. Dee Anna managed the successful announcement of i2 Technology's $9.3B acquisition of Aspect Development, the largest merger in the history of the software industry, securing positive coverage in virtually all top-tier media. Other clients at the time included Ericsson, Ernst & Young, IBM Global Services and UPS. Dee Anna began her career in PR at S&S Public Relations in Chicago where she built a network that will be relevant to Horn Group's recent expansion into that region.

Katie Huang Shin joined Horn Group in January and was promoted to managing director of the San Francisco office in May. She has 12 years of experience in both agency PR and healthcare marketing, and has advanced degrees in organizational development. Previously, Katie served as account director at Applied Communications where she ran PR initiatives for companies including Oracle, HP, BEA Systems, SeeBeyond and Informatica. During her tenure at Applied, Katie led corporate launches, multi-national product introductions, company visibility campaigns, technology conferences and competitive response programs for large and small technology companies. She also served as international PR advisor for Cisco and Genentech. Prior, she worked at Lois Paul and Partners where her clients included CheckPoint Software and Intel Architecture Lab.

Managing Director in Boston
Glen Hartman joined Horn Group in July as managing director. Hartman leverages his 14 years of strategic leadership, marketing, sales, and consulting experience to bring a unique perspective to Horn Group's clients and employees. Prior to Horn Group, Hartman was COO of KSciences, a full-service IT research, consulting, and system integration firm. Under his leadership KSciences was named as a finalist for Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2002.

Other past positions include Vice President of Marketing at Identify Software, a Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 Company, and Vice President of Marketing at Giga Information Group (now part of Forrester Research) where he was instrumental in Giga's successful IPO and achievement of profitability. Glen's strong propensity toward integrated marketing communications started with his early work in advertising and consumer marketing. He is known for his mantra "relationships are assets," and is a practitioner of Relationship Capital, a discipline he speaks on at industry events.

Michelle Cox Returns as Director in New York
Michelle Cox returns to Horn Group as a director in the New York office, responsible for leading that office in client service, business development and operations. After 8 years in PR, Cox has acquired a mix of technology and consumer public relations experience from both agency and corporate positions.

She spent two years at Horn Group's San Francisco office leading PR programs for BlueArc, Critical Path, Everypath and Talaris. Most recently, Cox was a vice president at Edelman in Los Angeles, where her clients included CinemaNow, Gemplus (the largest smart card manufacturer), Motion Picture Association of America and Warner Home Video. She held senior PR positions at Vollmer Public Relations in Texas where her clients included EDS, Microsoft Gulf Coast and Texas Instruments; and at InvenSys, a telecommunications software provider serving Japan, North America and Europe.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, with new satellites in Chicago and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Announces Full-Service Video Capabilities

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0700

San Francisco, Calif., Nov. 11, 2008 – Horn Group, Inc., an award-winning digital communications agency, today announced the launch of its full-service video production capabilities, enabling the agency to deliver cost-effective digital content creation. As digital communications is fast becoming the new industry standard, Horn Group further emerges as a leader by offering the ability to produce quality creative video. The agency houses a 1200-square-foot video production facility in its San Francisco office, complete with a green screen and peripheral equipment.

“People expect video on the web,” said Shannon Latta, partner at Horn Group. “But marketers rarely have the skills or the time to produce it. As communications pros, we have to create the right content for each medium. Adding video production and talent into the mix is part of our strategy to offer breadth and depth across PR, social media and interactive services.”

Expanding its content creation lineup, Horn Group’s full-service video production capabilities now include production, direction, script writing and storyboarding, location or in-house studio shooting, and standard post-production capabilities. Companies can leverage these to create projects such as: executive interviews, white board sessions, man-on-the-street vignettes, event video, sizzle reel and short documentary-style footage. Post production capabilities include editing, motion graphics, voiceovers and final deliverables.

Horn Group has completed close to a dozen video projects for client during the last few months. These include CEO interviews and white board sessions for EchoSign, Genius and Kalido; event motion graphics for Adify; a man-on-the-street piece for Tealeaf; and its own website home page video on http://www.horngroup.com.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in PR, social media and interactive services. The agency represents companies at every stage of growth to help them tell their stories to the people that matter in print, in person and on the web. Services include brand and message development, creative design, social media strategy, public relations, and web development. The agency has been awarded the Web Marketing Association's 2006 and 2007 WebAward and the 2006 Bell Ringer Award for media relations. Horn Group was ranked a best-mid sized agency three years in a row in PRSourceCode's annual survey of reporters and the firm continues to be noted as a Best Agency to Work For in the Holmes Report. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York. Visit www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Wins Three W³ Awards For Web Creativity

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

San Francisco, Calif., October 27, 2009 - Horn Group, Inc., a top independent digital communications agency, today announced three wins in the 2009 W³ Awards for creativity and innovation in web design. The agency received silver awards in the personal blog, energy and public relations categories for the following sites:
•    Altimeter Group blog -- http://altimetergroup.net/
•   Sirona Fuels company website and blog -- http://sironafuels.com/
•    Horn Group company website and blog - www.horngroup.com

The annual W³ Awards are sanctioned and judged by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, interactive, advertising, and marketing firms. The W³ Awards received nearly 3,000 entries from top companies and agencies worldwide. The awards honor creative excellence on the web, and recognize the creative and marketing professionals behind award winning sites, videos and marketing programs. For more information on these awards and to view the 2009 W³ Award winners visit www.w3award.com.

About Horn Group, Inc.

Horn Group, Inc. is a digital communications firm specializing in PR, social media marketing and interactive design. The agency represents companies at every stage of growth to help establish and promote their brands and engage with their audience in any medium. Services include communications strategy and message development, creative and interactive design, social media marketing, public relations and web development. The company has been recognized a best mid-sized PR agency for four consecutive years in PRSourceCode's annual Top Tech Communicators survey; has won several awards for interactive web design and video production; and is frequently noted as a Best Employer and Best Place to Work. The company was founded by Sabrina Horn in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York. Visit www.horngroup.com for more information.

IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, CAN YOU FEEL IT?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

PR is changing as we speak. It's not "dead" or anything ridiculous like that.

PR, like all industries, evolves. Its tools are different. Its people need new and different skills. Its fundamentals are different. Yet, while the tactics and channels have changed or gone away, the core (influence and opinion shaping) stay the same. And we are dancing as fast as we can. Never mind managing our agencies through a recession and a longer recovery. We need to continue to shape our business and evolve with it at the same time. It's like building a car as you're driving it.

So what does the next phase of our industry really look like? We hear and see terms like "digital", and "social". Take away the adjective and it's still communications. And it's still the work a company does to reach all of its audiences with a specific message in the hopes that those audiences will perform a certain task. Listen, care, try, buy.

PR today, and for the foreseeable future, must embrace the traditional verbal brand and support brand advocacy. PR will never go away because people and companies will never stop needing to communicate. Consider the horse race, the David versus Goliath, the off-Broadway approach, the scene setter and the day two story. As long as there are media, there will be channels for PR.

By virtue of the Internet, PR must also now embrace the visual brand experience. That means that PR firms must be able to offer clients such services as website design, collateral and corporate identity, content management, Facebook applications, and mobile device application development that incorporates the most important aspects of the verbal brand: messaging.

And lastly, PR must help companies embrace social media, specifically by reaching all of the communities and constituents using new tools on a new social platform. The combination of these three (Public Relations, Interactive Services, and Social Media) is the "new" public relations. If this is the new reality, this clearly means several different things.

Agencies must figure out how to build, package, sell and manage these different services in an integrated fashion. They must coach their employees to think as business people helping clients to solve their real business problems. And they must support an integrated approach with different management and back office approaches.

Understand Business First, Communications Second

Having a broader offering allows agency people to have far more interesting conversations with clients than ever before. What business problem are you trying to solve and which audience are you trying to reach? Is it a customer care issue in a specific vertical market? Does it involve regulatory compliance? Is it a business partner issue? Does it involve a company's investors? Once we understand the business problem, how can an agency approach solving it using a much broader set of services and capabilities?

For example, if you need to build a community for customers in a specific market, your agency should ideally be able to 1) build and design that community, 2) bring people into that community and give them a reason to stay there, and 3) find a way to use what they are doing in that community through PR channels.

This is far more interesting work than simply being a good publicist, and it takes investment of time, professional development and personal initiative.

Managing integrated digital communications programs also requires a different skillset and includes the capabilities of a project manager to bridge the gaps. Global brand managers and marketing communications people will find new career opportunities within digital agencies that take a broader, more wholistic of their field. Existing employees must learn by doing and experimenting, and work very closely with their interactive design colleagues to learn and expand their horizons.

Management and the Back Office

What motivates a Java programmer or a graphic designer is quite different from what motivates a PR account supervisor. Their hours are different. They don't get rewarded by the "big hit in the New York Times". They get rewarded because the website they built is stable and doesn't crash. Interactive folks bill by the project. PR usually bills on a monthly retainer basis. Social media at this stage is still largely experimental, consulting oriented and project based. Managing all that in the back office becomes more complicated from utilization and billing and from time tracking to profitability.

Attempting to be a digital communications agency is not for the faint of heart. It is complicated, and unlike the seemingly natural melding of social media with PR, interactive design is a completely different field and discipline. One must decide between an in-house or outsourced model, or a combination of both. One must have leadership that truly appreciates the new world of public relations and interactive design belonging together under one roof.

Make no mistake, these capabilities are "integrated" but they are different. Therefore there are touchpoints of integration but there really cannot be complete and total integration. Agencies must listen carefully to client problems to sort out if they truly have the skills and processes in place to solve their communications problems or partner with other firms to be able to provide total solutions.

It is perhaps the most interesting and exciting and disruptive time in our industry. The train has left the station. It is time for all of us to make sure we are on board or scramble to catch up.

This is the new normal and it is happening as we speak. I know you feel it.

Horn Group Expands Digital Media Practice

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0600

October 28, 2009 - New York and San Francisco - Horn Group, Inc., the leading communications agency in the digital media sector, has added six new online video and advertising clients since July. The firm is now agency of record for San Francisco-based Kyte, Inc., an online and mobile video platform, and New York based Paltalk, Inc., the leading real-time video-based community with over four million active members. The agency also recently won interCLICK (OTCBB: ICLK),LookSmart, Media6Degrees and Rocket Fuel Inc. Horn Group is assisting these companies with a variety of communications initiatives including messaging and positioning, public relations, social web marketing, interactive design and website development. Total annualized revenue for these new wins is more than $1.5 million.

"We're seeing significant growth and opportunity within the digital media space as more people are consuming content online than ever before," said Ben Billingsley Managing Director, Horn Group, New York. "Businesses need the platforms and infrastructure to support the online medium and with Kyte on board, Horn Group continues our track record of representing market leaders."

Other clients in the agency's digital media practice include:

"By their very nature, digital media companies understand the value of our integrated approach to communications," said Sabrina Horn, Horn Group's president and CEO. "Every program for these clients involves traditional PR, social media marketing and, in many cases, interactive design."

Agency Responds to Massive Adoption of Video

Horn Group is providing its video production services to more and more clients that are delivering new and multiple types of content to customers and influencers.
The agency was a two-time sponsor of the annual VideoNuze Broadband Leadership Evening in New York (videoschmooze.com).
To service its new digital media accounts, Horn Group has recently added four new people to its teams in New York and San Francisco. In New York, Nate Hermes, formerly of Brew Media Relations and SutherlandGold Group, has joined as a director.

About Horn Group, Inc.

Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in communications, visual brand experience and community engagement. Services include messaging, public relations, interactive design and social Web marketing. The company has been recognized a best mid-sized agency for four consecutive years in PRSourceCode's annual Top Tech Communicators survey; has won several awards for interactive web design and video production; and is frequently noted as a Best Employer and Best Place to Work. The company was founded by Sabrina Horn in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York.

Horn Group Announces Washington DC Office and Chicago Satellite

Mon, 16 May 2005 00:00:00 -0600

May 16, 2005 - Washington DC - Horn Group, Inc. officially announced today its expansion into Washington DC and Chicago, Illinois. With four new clients, the agency has a solid portfolio in each region backed by both tenured and additional senior talent. The DC office is located at the TeqCorner building in Northern Virginia's Tyson's Corner area and is headed by Director Ben Farrell. The agency's Chicago satellite is led by Director Katey Stewart. Both Farrell and Stewart were formerly directors in Horn Group's San Francisco office.

Our entry into DC and the Midwest continues our long history of organic growth. Increasingly there are innovative and successful technology companies in every corner of the country, not just the traditional technology hubs," said Sabrina Horn, founder and president of Horn Group, Inc. "We are grateful to our founding clients and growing network in the Washington and greater Midwest areas. We expect our deep roots in technology, our great mix of services and the strength of our people will make a major impact for companies in these regions.

Washington DC Ripe for Horn Group's Unique Value Proposition The Washington DC technology market is growing both in terms of venture capital investments in start-up companies and government and private sector sales opportunities for regional offices of established technology vendors. In addition, Horn Group's DC presence allows the agency to access other growth markets such as Atlanta and North Carolina's Research Triangle district. The location will also afford the agency to explore business opportunities in the public affairs arena over time.

Technology markets in the greater-DC area are experiencing tremendous growth, but along with that opportunity comes a critical need for marketing communications programs that are creative, precisely-targeted and well-executed," said Scott Frederick, Partner at Valhalla Partners, a leading venture capital firm based in Tyson's Corner. "Enterprise technology companies need communications partners like Horn Group who understand the nuances of their markets and who bring the network of contacts necessary to influence market perceptions and change market dynamics.

Horn Group DC clients include Herndon, VA-based RealOps, Inc., a leading provider of Integrated Operations Automation solutions, and Atlanta-based Indus International (Nasdaq: IINT), an established provider of Service Delivery Management solutions to utility, energy and other markets. Clients serviced by the Horn Group DC office have access to an exceptional team of senior PR professionals, including:

Ben Farrell, a director with 12 years of high-technology public relations experience and an appetite for positioning and strategic program development
Caroline Hacker, Horn Group's media specialist with 12 years of enterprise and consumer technology PR behind her and expert business media skills and relationships
Kevin King, a supervisor with seven years of local DC marketing experience and excellent DC-area trade and government media contacts

Horn Group DC has officially opened its office at the TeqCorner building in Northern Virginia's Tyson's Corner area, a hot bed of technology innovation and venture capital activity. The address is 1616 Anderson Road, McLean, Virginia 22102. Horn Group DC's main number is 703.286.0828.

Agency Targets Midwest Through Chicago Satellite
Technology companies in the Midwest region are also increasingly tapping the Horn Group for its services. Horn Group clients run out of the Chicago satellite include Indianapolis-based Interactive Intelligence (Nasdaq: ININ), a global developer of business communications software, and Priva Technologies, an Internet security provider. The satellite is led by Katey Stewart, a director with 9 years of high-technology public relations experience with both emerging growth companies as well as established global leaders. Horn Group has a track record serving other successful companies in the central United States, from Paisley Consulting in Minnesota to Lombardi Software in Texas.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, New York, and Washington DC, with a satellite in Chicago, Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Awarded LACP Gold Magellan Awards

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700

The League of American Communications Professionals (LACP) last month recognized Horn Group with a Gold Magellan Award for the Kalido 'Data-Driven CFO' campaign. The Kalido communications team was awarded best business-to-business campaign and a top 50 campaign of the year. The Kalido communications team includes Horn Group in the United States, Brands2Life in the United Kingdom, and internal Kalido communications. LACP recognizes exemplary communications professionals.

Kalido provides data warehousing software to the world's largest companies such as BP, Shell and Unilever. Its software helps these organizations aggregate and make sense of information from multiple IT systems to achieve a clearer view of how their business is performing around the globe. Kalido's software is typically bought by an organization's IT Director or Chief Information Officer. But by the end of 2004, Kalido's sales teams reported that they were seeing more Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) in sales meetings. The CFO was becoming a key direct purchaser.

As a result, Kalido needed to influence this new audience through specific sales and marketing strategies if it was to continue to engage with its customer base. A major pain of CFOs is obtaining clear views of business performance across multiple geographies, divisions and departments for reporting and analysis as their enterprise undergoes transformation such as M&As and reorganizations. With this in mind, Kalido's marketing and communications team designed and implemented the award-winning 'Data-Driven CFO' campaign.

Campaign Strategy

Integrated media, marketing and sales campaign with cross-division working party
Extensive re-messaging - all activities to talk to CFOs "in their language"
Develop and own the concept of the "data-driven CFO"
Establish Kalido as a thought leader and an information resource for CFOs
Arm sales team with coverage, collateral and other tools showcasing Kalido's ability to address issues pertinent to CFOs

Campaign Tactics

Messaging project to adapt the Kalido story for the CFO
Laser sharp campaign materials including CFO direct mail pieces and updated website content
Media briefing and market education
Issues commentary and rapid response
Thought leadership and blogging
A 'Data-Driven CFO panel discussion
Kalido user group survey
Credibility with customer case studies

From the outset, the campaign was integrated and involved a close collaboration between sales, marketing and public relations teams both within Kalido and across its contracted agencies. The campaign spanned Kalido's two principal markets - the United Kingdom and the United States - and was implemented within a strict budget to allow additional marketing activity that continued to focus on Kalido's more established audiences in the IT community. With strong support from the Kalido executive team, the communications group set out to create a strategy that would be heard above the market noise, providing tangible sales leads and a dramatic increase in awareness for Kalido.

Horn Group Bolsters New York Office

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0600

New York, NY – July 29, 2008 - Horn Group Inc. today announced the expansion of its digital media practice with the addition of six new clients in New York. Driving this practice has been Ben Billingsley who has been promoted to Managing Director overseeing all East Coast PR business. In addition, Michael Polley joined as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) also based in New York.

Further formalizing the digital media practice, each of the new engagements leverages Horn Group’s integrated communications experience and includes a mix of public relations and interactive services like creative branding and web design. New digital media clients include:

Pontiflex, the creators of the first lead generation marketplace
adap.tv, the first open and universal video ad platform
WebCollage, a content exchange services for manufacturers and their retail partners
Move Networks, technology for high-definition online television
Buddy Media, a provider of social media advertising applications and campaigns
Brand.net, the first online advertising network focused exclusively on Brand advertising

Other clients in the practice include Adify, the premier technology and media company focused on vertical online advertising (acquired last month by Cox Enterprises) and Clickable, the first web service to make creating and managing online advertising simple and effective. Horn Group also represented Right Media, an online exchange for advertisers and publishers, through its acquisition by Yahoo!.

Instrumental in building out Horn Group’s expertise, successes and recent wins in the space was Ben Billingsley who has been promoted to Managing Director of the firm’s East Coast PR practice, reporting to Sabrina Horn, CEO. He has 12 years of experience in agency public relations and integrated marketing communications. Prior to joining Horn Group in 2006, Billingsley worked at Cooper Katz, also in New York.

Michael Polley joins Horn Group as the new CFO, reporting to Sabrina Horn. Previously, Michael was CFO at MRM Worldwide in San Francisco, a digital advertising agency serving technology and consumer markets. Before that he spent time as a consultant and CFO at Nortel Networks, Standard New York, American Document Management Group, and he started his career in public accounting at Deloitte Touche.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in PR, social media and interactive services. The agency represents companies at every stage of growth to help them tell their stories to the people that matter in print, in person and on the web. Services include brand and message development, creative design, media strategy, public relations, and web development. The agency has been awarded the Web Marketing Association's 2006 and 2007 WebAward and the 2006 Bell Ringer Award for media relations. Horn Group was ranked best-mid sized agency in PRSourceCode’s 2005 and 2006 survey of reporters and the firm continues to be noted as a Best Agency to Work For in the Holmes Report. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York. Visit www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Celebrates 15 Years in Business

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0600

New York, NY - June 27, 2006 - Horn Group, Inc. is celebrating its 15-year anniversary this month. The company was founded in 1991 by Sabrina Horn to offer public relations services to enterprise software start ups. Today, the agency provides PR, creative design and digital marketing services to technology companies at every stage of growth. The agency has expanded the markets it serves to include business and consumer technology and digital media.

"I learned that in a service business it begins and ends with your people and I'm honored to have built a team of people over the years that most only dream about," said Horn Group president and CEO Sabrina Horn. "I am so proud of the work and the results we have delivered and that we are truly one of the last of the independents. Our greatest challenge is to continue to innovate, rethink and try out new ideas. Complacency and mediocrity are business killers. I love waking up everyday and thinking about what's next for this company."

Horn Group also received the prestigious 2006 Bell Ringer Merit Award this month for best business-to-business product publicity campaign. The award was given for Horn Group's work with Kalido and its Data Driven CFO campaign. The agency has been recognized with the following awards and achievements in the past 12 months:

PR Week 2005 Top 40 Technology Agency
Holmes Report Top Agency to Work For
Best Mid-Sized Agency, PRSourceCode 2005 Journalist Ranking
2005 LACP Magellan Award, Media Relations
2005 LACP Top 50 B2B Campaign

Company History Marked by Risks and Rewards
In its first decade, Horn Group built franchises around its marquis clients like PeopleSoft, Vantive Software, Commerce One, Geoffrey Moore and Norwest Venture Partners. It was during this period that the agency opened its Boston office in 1996 and moved to its award-winning headquarters in San Francisco in 1998. Horn Group safeguarded its business from the post-bubble market consolidation by staying focused on its core business in enterprise software and services.

Now well into its second decade, Horn Group's business plan has shifted to include strategic expansion in three key areas: geography, services and markets. The company opened a New York office in 2003 to immerse itself in the center of the publishing and digital media markets and to be a part of the rebuilding of downtown Manhattan. Shortly thereafter, the company launched a satellite office in the Washington DC area that today represents 4 companies. In 2004 Horn Group added creative and interactive services to its mix of services, which now accounts for about 20% of revenues. While enterprise software is still its core business, Horn Group has started working with hot digital media companies like ClubMom, Glam.com and Right Media. Other recent new client wins include Archer Technologies, AspenTech, Metallect, New Venture Partners, and Tridion.

Today, Horn Group has about 25 clients and 50 employees across its 4 offices. In total, the company has employed 250 people over the years, and witnessed 50 marriages and the arrival of 30 children. The company has worked with 550 companies and billed roughly 700,000 hours.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, creative design and strategic web development services. Located in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Celebrates Growth and Success in New York

Mon, 03 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0600

October 3, 2005 - New York, New York - Horn Group, Inc. today announced the expansion of its New York office with the appointment of Christopher Faust as managing director of the PR practice in New York and several new client engagements that represent more than $1.5 million in annual revenue. To support this growth, next month Horn Group will relocate downtown to 55 Broad Street, the New York Information Technology Center (NYITC). The company will celebrate its three-year anniversary in New York on November 4, 2005.

The demand for strategic communications and creative services for technology companies in the New York area is growing," said Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group. "With today's announcements, we have the leadership, client portfolio and world-class facilities to make a lasting impact on the software market in this region."

Managing Director Appointed for New York Office
Christopher Faust joined Horn Group in August as managing director of the agency's PR practice in New York. Faust, who reports to Sabrina Horn, is responsible for strategic client service, business development and operations. He has 15 years of experience in agency public relations and corporate marketing communications.

Previously, Faust was vice president at PFS, a position he held as a result of the acquisition of his strategic PR and marketing consultancy, BreakThrough Communications. In addition to heading up his own agency, he has held positions as director of communications for Lincoln Financial Distributors, vice president of marketing communications for InterWorld Corp., and partner with the Merritt Group.

It is an exciting time to be part of the Horn Group, with its entrepreneurial spirit, growing client base and enthusiastic work force," said Faust. "Sabrina and the team in New York have put three years of hard work into building our presence here and together we will accelerate our plans for growth and remarkable client service."

Hard Work Begets Organic Growth
Central to Horn Group's growth in New York, several companies have selected the agency for public relations and creative communication services that represent more than $1.5 million in annualized revenue. Westcon Group is working with Horn Group on interactive marketing, branding and collateral, and the development and execution of integrated global communications programs. Westcon Group, based in Tarrytown, NJ, is a global specialty distributor of networking and communications equipment for leading technology vendors including Cisco Systems Inc., Nortel Networks Corporation and Avaya, Inc.

Other new client wins include the following companies:

Blue Titan, based in San Francisco, CA and New York, NY, provides service-oriented architecture management solutions;
Portaga Inc., based in White Plains, NY, provides online travel distribution solutions on the desktop;
Velocita Wireless, based in Woodbridge, NJ, provides wireless data products and services for enterprises and government.

From Midtown to Downtown
On November 1, 2005, Horn Group will move its New York office to the New York Information Technology Center (NYITC) at 55 Broad Street, a 30-story office tower located in the Financial District that houses technology companies such as Cap Gemini, Level 3, Nokia and Sun Microsystems. Horn Group is one of the first companies to leverage new legislation that provides tax incentives to businesses committing operations and employment in Lower Manhattan to promote its economic growth. Horn Group's relocation was recently endorsed by New York Governor George Pataki and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg - who signed the new bill at a recent press conference. The agency will occupy the entire 29th floor of the building allowing room for the planned expansion of its New York team to 40 professionals.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, creative and interactive services, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, with a new office in Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Celebrates Growth in Interactive Services

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0600

November 8, 2004 - New York City, NY - Horn Group, Inc. today announced the expansion of its Interactive Services practice, less than a year after its introduction in January. Software companies across the country have embraced Horn Group's approach to integrated public relations and interactive marketing campaigns - signaling the evolution of traditional public relations. As a result, Horn Group is building a more national presence for its Interactive Services and adding new technical and creative talent to its team. Starting today, Gannon Hall, Managing Director of Interactive Services, will be based in Horn Group's New York City office.

"The rapid growth of our Interactive Services practice is central to Horn Group's vision for technology communications," said Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group, Inc. "These services give Horn Group a new competitive advantage, a greater value proposition, and in return, a larger share of the marketing pie. Our clients on both the East and West Coasts are integrating public relations, interactive marketing, and creative services for cohesive and far-reaching results."

Technology Public Relations Redefined
While consumer goods have long relied on visual brand to reach customers, technology companies must convey value and differentiation, as well as visual appeal, in their brands. Horn Group has recognized the need to marry traditional public relations - responsible for communicating the value and differentiators of a technology offering - with the interactive and creative marketing disciplines responsible for creating an identity on the web and in print.

"Horn Group is familiar with the distinctive marketing demands of technology companies, whether you need to redesign a website following an acquisition, or produce an interactive demonstration in conjunction with a product launch and press tour," said Hall. "We help our clients succeed by developing and executing online marketing strategies beyond typical brochure-ware. Our integrated solutions leverage market research, target user analysis and custom CRM integration to increase quality leads and provide the metrics our clients need to make informed marketing decisions."

Recent Interactive Services Campaigns
Recently, Horn Group has completed a dozen projects including brand analysis and development, competitive marketing research, web design and development, CRM consulting and integration, and PR launches. The agency's Interactive Services team has worked with clients across the country, regardless of location, from Silicon Valley and the Northwest to New England and the greater New York area. Highlights include:

Aurema, Cupertino, CA
Determine Software, CA
Evident Software, Bloomfield, NJ
GlowPoint, Hillside, NJ
OpenService, Inc., Westborough, MA

Aurema, Inc., who provides workload management solutions, began work with Horn Group in early 2004. Well-known for its leading product ARMTech, the company lacked the strong corporate identity needed for its next stage of growth. Working closely with Aurema's executive management and marketing teams, Horn Group built an integrated campaign that began with positioning and message work in April and culminated last month with a significant new product launch and the debut of its new website.

"The strategic synergy of the Horn Group's integrated approach to public relations and interactive marketing mapped exactly to what Aurema needed at this key phase of our growth," said Therese Wells, director of marketing at Aurema. "The foundational positioning and messaging work, a strong media and analyst campaign, and extraordinary execution in a short period of time on a new web presence combined to deliver tremendous positive momentum for us in the marketplace."

Evident Software, a client of Horn Group's New York office, recently introduced Evident Enterprise 5, the latest version of its IT service intelligence platform. The product launch was coupled with Horn Group's redesign of the Evident corporate identity and visual brand. Before redesigning the brand and web site, Horn Group staged an internal audit of key executives, along with competitive market research and target user analysis to better understand the requirements of the new branding.

"Other firms we talked to just focused on cool look and feel," said Helen A. Donnelly, vice president of marketing at Evident Software. "But with Horn Group, extensive interviews, competitive analysis and wire-framing ensured content, tone and theme were all well-defined before any graphic design took place. Their methodology and quality of work really set them apart - we couldn't be happier with the result."

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, with new satellites in Chicago and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Continues Expansion with New Leadership and Client Additions in Boston

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0700

December 5, 2005 - Boston, Mass. - Horn Group, Inc. today announced its continued expansion in Boston with the appointment of a new managing director, key senior staff additions and a series of new client wins. Len Dieterle recently joined the company as managing director of its Boston operations reporting to agency president and CEO Sabrina Horn. Located in Braintree, the growing office will celebrate 10 years in the Boston area next month.

Dieterle is responsible for strategic client service, business development and operations. He has 18 years of public relations experience and joined Horn Group after nearly nine years with Porter Novelli. There, he served as a senior vice president in the agency's technology practice running global PR programs for clients such as BMC Software and Analog Devices. This experience is complemented with his strong background working with emerging companies in the enterprise security, telecommunications and business intelligence markets. Joining Dieterle in the Boston office are account supervisors Kim Pegnato and Mike Spinney, who bring a combined 25 years of technology PR experience to Horn Group.

"Len is a welcome addition to our management team - his is the latest in a series of appointments over the past few years that provide our clients with exceptional caliber leadership and expertise," said Horn. "The Boston market is significant for our agency as it is home to so many emerging technology businesses. As we approach 10 years in business there, we're continuing to add hot companies to our client portfolio and some of the best people in the communications industry to support them."

Ten Years and 100 Clients in New England
In January 2006, Horn Group will celebrate 10 years of profitable operations in the New England area. That office has served close to 100 technology companies including market leaders like Cognos, Information Builders and PeopleSoft as well as dozens of emerging growth companies. Most recently, the office engaged with a number of new clients including ArcSight, a global leader in enterprise security management software; Cape Clear Software, a driving force in the enterprise service bus space; and Aegis InterWorld, Inc., a global provider of business process outsourcing products and services.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, creative and interactive services, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Growth Continues with Two Million Dollars in New Business

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0700

San Francisco, CA - December 18, 2006 - Horn Group, Inc. today announced new accounts and expanded projects with existing clients equaling two million dollars in annual revenue. The new business initiatives run the gamut from web design and advertising to marketing strategies for venture capital firms - as well as traditional public relations programs -- reflecting the company's achievements as a fully integrated strategic communications agency.

"It's been two years since we expanded our business model to include creative design, web development and digital marketing in addition to our public relations practice" said Sabrina Horn, President and CEO of Horn Group. "Today, we're doing integrated projects with almost half our clients."

Companies working with Horn Group on strategic marketing communications (brand, PR and web) include Metallect, Plano, TX (risk management solutions) and Right Media, New York, NY (online advertising exchange), and Docucorp, Dallas, TX (software for managing customer communications) is a new website design client. ArcSight, an information security company, has expanded its work with Horn Group to include direct response advertising and web design in addition to PR. Also on the public relations front, Horn Group recently signed Workday, Inc. Walnut Creek, CA (PeopleSoft founder Dave Duffield's new on-demand enterprise business services company), QuickPlay Media, Toronto, Canada (entertainment and multimedia for mobile devices), Catalyst online (search engine marketing for the healthcare industry) and Vivisimo, Pittsburgh, PA (enterprise search). The agency is working with Stamen Design, a San Francisco based design and visualization firm, on messaging and marketing strategy.

"Horn Group functions as a strong supplement to our small in-house marketing team," said Christine Hunsicker, Right Media's President and COO. "Having one collective and integrated team makes the operation seamless and allows us to push our story across multiple channels and present a unified brand experience."

VCs Turn to Horn Group
Meanwhile, Horn Group has also built up its portfolio of venture capital firms with new client Venrock Associates, Menlo Park, CA and New York, NY. Venrock is one of this country's premier venture capital firms and continues a six-decade Rockefeller tradition of funding entrepreneurs and establishing successful, enduring companies in technology, healthcare and energy sectors.

Horn Group has several new projects with other VC firms it represents, including New Venture Partners, StarVest Partners and Valhalla Partners. Projects include strategic messaging, public relations campaigns, website design and customer application development, as well as influencer relations.

Four Years in New York
Last month marked Horn Group's fourth year in New York City where it has established itself as a top communications firm for the technology industry. The New York office recently added a senior designer and senior developer and now boasts a staff of 13 on its interactive services team.

In October, the agency was recognized by the Web Marketing Association for Outstanding Achievement in Website Development for the design of Geoffrey Moore's "Dealing with Darwin" website and blog.

In November, Horn Group partnered with client CollabNet to sponsor and co-produce "Staying Ahead in a Flat World" in New York. The exclusive panel featured distinguished author and journalist Thomas L. Friedman (The World is Flat), Tim O'Reilly (O'Reilly Media founder and Web 2.0 luminary) and was moderated by Fortune's David Kirkpatrick.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a strategic communications firm specializing in PR and digital marketing. The agency represents technology companies at every stage of growth to help them tell their stories to the people that matter in print, in person and on the web. Services include brand and message development, creative design, media strategy, public relations, and web development. The agency was recently awarded the Web Marketing Association's 2006 WebAward and the 2006 Bell Ringer Award for media relations. Horn Group was ranked best-mid sized agency in PRSourceCode 2005 survey of reporters and the firm continues to be noted as a Best Agency to Work For in the Holmes Report. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in San Francisco, New York and Boston. Visit www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Kicks Off 2005 with New Client Wins Representing More Than $1 Million in Annual Revenue

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0600

April 25, 2005 - San Francisco, California - Horn Group, Inc. today announced it won new accounts totaling more than $1 million in annual revenue during the first quarter of 2005. The growth came from offices across the country, with new clients signing on in its San Francisco, Boston and New York offices. This strong start to the year demonstrates Horn Group's sustained performance as the firm enters its fourteenth year as the nation's premier independent technology communications agency.

As the technology industry continues to rebuild and re-define its role in the broader business community, software companies need to increase their visibility and articulate a defensible value proposition," said Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group. "That's exactly what we help our clients do. Growing our business by establishing relationships with some of today's most promising technology companies is an exciting way to start the year and underscores that Horn Group is committed to excellence in technology communications.

Building on its unmatched expertise in serving high-tech companies, Horn Group is providing its new clients with a powerful combination of strategy and positioning, media and analyst relations, interactive services, and additional marketing communications support as needed. New Horn Group accounts include:

AIM Technology, who provides performance management software and services for enterprises and contact centers
FastClick, a leader in online advertising services
Good Technology, the leader in industry standards-based enterprise software and services for wireless corporate messaging and corporate data access
Lombardi Software, a leading provider of Business Process Management (BPM) software
Manufacturing Insights, an IDC company that provides business and IT decision-makers with fact-based research and analysis
Paxonix, who develops tools and services that apply the concepts of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) to package design and development
Retail Decisions, Inc., the US division of Retail Decisions plc, an international electronic payment transaction services business that provides fraud prevention, enterprise-wide payment processing and value-added transaction and consulting services.

We were looking for a strategic partner who would not only be an extension of our organization but help us grow our PR exposure," said Sue Forbes, vice president of marketing at Good Technology. "Horn Group easily met this need and came up to speed very quickly, executing a very successful product launch just weeks after coming on board.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, with new satellites in Chicago and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Named as Finalist in Third Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0700

San Francisco, CA - January 10, 2007 - Horn Group, Inc. was named a finalist today in the third annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. More than 600 entries were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories; Horn Group is a finalist in the Best Overall Company category for small service businesses under 100 employees.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run – worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as “the business world’s own Oscars.” (New York Post, April 27, 2005).

“Being named a Finalist in The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an important achievement,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards. “It means that independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of recognition. We congratulate all of the Finalists on their achievement and wish them well in the competition.”

Details about The Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/women.

Horn Group Rallies Hundreds of Industry Leaders Across Nation on Topic of Innovation

Thu, 18 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700

November 18, 2004 – San Francisco, Calif. – Horn Group, Inc., a leader in technology communications, today announced its forum for technology industry influencers called Horn Group Network. At the heart of Horn Group Network is a series of exclusive events in major technology regions that address topics such as innovation, leadership and IT predictions. Yesterday, Horn Group completed its most recent series of events where more than 250 of its business, technology and media contacts gathered in New York, Boston and San Francisco to debate innovation in the technology industry.

“Horn Group represents a valuable network that no one else can offer,” said Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group, Inc. “For years, we have hosted exclusive events to provide our contacts a venue for networking. But the Horn Group Network has become a forum for data and debate, and an incubator for the partnerships and deals that helps shape our industry.”

Panelists at the recent Horn Group Network events included editors from top business publications Fast Company, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal; senior management from emerging and established software companies including GlowPoint, Omniture, PeopleSoft, Sun Microsystems and Transera Communications; executives from prominent VC and financial services firms such as Cantor Fitzgerald, Highland Capital Partners and Hummer Winblad Venture Partners; as well as tenured staff from Harvard Business School and MIT.

Technology Industry Innovation Outlook
Undeniably, innovation has been the primary driver for growth in technology for decades. It is no secret that the industry's economic downturn has created an innovation dichotomy. While some argued the need to break new ground has never been greater, panelists also recognized budget constraints and market pressures that curb the risk-taking and exploration necessary to inspire discovery. Today, the practical application and opportunity costs of innovation come into question when it can take years before new technology breakthroughs translate into tangible gains. The key challenge facing business leaders today isn't whether to innovate, it's where to focus innovation efforts, how to define success, how much to invest and when.

Specific perspectives and predictions of the panelists included:

A divide between consumer and business technology innovation exists. Some see the next flat panel plasma screen, the digital home or the smarter mobile device as the future of innovation, where others view it as faster microprocessors, increased enterprise productivity or broad acceptance of open source software.
Unanimously, panelists agreed that China would produce the next great innovations in our industry – making irrelevant any former debate about whether pockets of innovation are stronger on the East or West Coasts of the U.S.
In the ongoing debate over off-shoring, job opportunities created by technology innovation in the U.S. will compensate for the work being sent to countries like China and India. Some panelists encouraged a shift in attention from job loss in the U.S to innovation that will stimulate employment.
Innovation comes both in the form of broad sweeping change, as well as incremental improvements that result in revenue gains or new industry standards that defined as breaking new ground.
Software innovation is alive among emerging start-ups. Venture funding in the coming year will increase with many VCs embracing innovation with less caution than in recent years.

Innovation Fuses Professional with Personal
Amidst the commentary on data back up and recovery, plasma TVs, and open source technologies, there was a surprising common thread in the Horn Group debates that centered on the personal risks and rewards of innovation. Regardless of how technology innovation is defined, creating anything new and meaningful requires courage and stamina. “Successful innovation is about the long view,” said Sherwin Greenblatt, Director at MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service and former COO of Bose Inc. “If you’re going to attempt it, you need to ask yourself if you have the courage to stay the course.”

Past Horn Group Network events have included a discussion on reinventing Silicon Valley, a panel debate in response to the Harvard Business Review article “Does IT Matter”, and a presentation on leadership in technology. These have been well attended by press and analysts including Business Week , CIO Magazine, Computerworld, eWeek, Forbes, Forrester Research, Gartner Group, IDC, Information Week, The New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today and Wall Street Journal.

In addition to its exclusive events, Horn Group Network is also expected to publish market research and survey findings, as well as sponsor industry events such as the upcoming Software 2005 conference in April 2005.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth – from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, with new satellites in Chicago and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group Recognized As Top PR Agency In New PRSourcecode Study

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700

January 23, 2005 - San Francisco, Calif. - Horn Group, Inc. today was recognized as best overall mid-sized agency as voted by US-based IT journalists in the first annual PRSourceCode Top Tech PR Agency Ranking Study. Journalists ranked Horn Group at the top of the pack in responsiveness, industry knowledge, value and as best overall agency. The ranking represents feedback from 200 journalists at publications including Business 2.0, CIO Insight, Computer Reseller News, InformationWeek, InfoWorld, PC World and many more.

"Journalists and clients share equal importance in our business," said Sabrina Horn, Horn Group's president and CEO. "Think like a journalist and become a trusted resource - that's the way our people approach media relations. We offer compelling news and present technical stories in business terms that resonate with the media and their readers. The PRSourceCode ranking is reflection of our great staff and our media savvy. Thanks to PRSourceCode for launching this valuable study."

The PRSourceCode 'Top Tech' PR Agency Ranking Study measured firms on five criteria. Horn Group out-ranked its competitors in four out of five categories including best overall performance for a mid-sized agency (12.3%); responsiveness (12.2%); industry knowledge (16.9); and adds value to journalist-IT organization relationship (13.8%). The agency ranked a close second in accuracy of information presented (13.2%).

"PRSourceCode founded the PRSourceCode Top Tech annual survey to improve the quality of communication between journalists and communications professionals," said Steven J. Smith, General Manager, PRSourceCode. "It's journalists who set the criteria for excellence in media relations and our survey results recognize those agencies who inherently understand the rules of the game. Horn Group came out the clear leader in its class."

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, creative and interactive services, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group To Sponsor Annual Software 2007 Conference

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0700

San Francisco, CA - February 21, 2007 - For the third year in a row, Horn Group is sponsoring and participating in Software 2007 -- an influential annual gathering of 2,000 leaders of the software ecosystem presented by Sand Hill Group and CMP Technology. Horn Group is the exclusive media sponsor of the event this year and will conduct its annual media panel moderated by agency President and CEO Sabrina Horn. In addition to sponsoring and participating in the conference, the agency is conducting the communications strategy and media relations for the event. In years past, more than 100 press, analysts and bloggers have attended and coverage the event.

The conference will take place May 8-9 in Santa Clara, CA. More information can be found at www.software2007.com .

Horn Group Wins WebAward for "Dealing With Darwin" Website

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0600

New York, NY - October 12, 2006 - Earlier this week, Horn Group was awarded the Web Marketing Association's WebAward for standards of excellence in PR. The firm was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Website Development for the design of Geoffrey Moore's "Dealing with Darwin" website and blog. More than 2,300 websites from 35 countries competed for the awards. The Web Marketing Association has been awarding superior design for the past 10 years and has helped to set high standards in design and development.

For the launch of long-time client Geoffrey Moore's latest book "Dealing with Darwin", Horn Group's public relations and digital marketing teams partnered on strategy, design and content development for both the website and blog. This is a classic example of Horn Group's approach to integrated communication programs that combine traditional PR with creative and interactive marketing.

Horn Group and Brands2Life Partner to Provide International Public Relations to Global Technology Companies

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0700

March 7, 2005 - San Francisco, California and London, England - Horn Group, Inc. and Brands2Life announced today a partnership to provide technology companies with international communications support. The two companies have selected each other as preferred, non-exclusive partners to extend their reach into North America and across Western Europe respectively. In addition to international client service, the partnership includes joint business development and marketing, an employee exchange program and market education.

"The global technology companies we serve have an appetite for creativity and results that is best served by the top agency in each region they conduct business," said Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group. "Brands2Life has a remarkable eye for the strategies and stories that help companies get noticed in Europe as demonstrated by their award-winning work and impressive client portfolio. Brands2Life is one of the UK's top PR agencies and we're delighted to be working together toward the mutual goal of growing our business abroad."

"Horn Group has proved itself to be one of the top hi-tech PR companies in the US for over ten years," said Chris Cartwright, director with responsibility for international development, Brands2Life. "With their expansion in to New York, Washington DC and Chicago they are set for even further success in the years ahead. We have had a great experience working with them on the clients we have shared over the last four years and are very excited about the prospect of developing the relationship further."

Track Record with Global Companies
Horn Group and Brands2Life have a track record jointly serving global companies including 3i, Commerce One, Kalido and Staffware (now TIBCO). Kalido is an enterprise data warehousing software company with dual headquarters in London, England and Burlington, Massachusetts. Brands2Life has helped Kalido achieve visibility in software, business and mainstream media for more than three years. With the dramatic growth of Kalido in North America, Horn Group was brought on board at the outset of 2004 to build awareness of the Kalido brand in the U.S.

Bob Potter, president and CEO of Kalido said, "PR is the fundamental driver of Kalido's awareness. And if you don't have a bedrock foundation of awareness in place it doesn't matter how much money you spend on other marketing programs. Our PR has been one of the most crucial factors in helping to achieve the company's success both in Europe and the US. The partnership between Brands2Life and Horn Group has moved the needle for Kalido - the two companies work well together and with my team, they know our business, and are working hard to maintain and grow the awareness we need."

About Brands2Life
Brands2Life was founded in April 2000 by Giles Fraser and Sarah Scales. Brands2Life helps technology-driven companies of all sizes to build and communicate their brands to sell more and gain profile with businesses and consumers alike. Clients include: 3i, Ask Jeeves, Business Software Alliance, Business Objects, Cisco Systems, Kalido, Micro Focus, Simpay, T-Mobile and WebEx. The agency has 34 staff based in London and is supported by a network of independent agency partners throughout Europe. The company has won numerous awards including CNET Technology PR Campaign of the Year in 2004.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, with new satellites in Chicago and Washington D.C., Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group to Drive National Recognition of World GreenExchange

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0600

San Francisco, CA - August 1, 2007 - As featured in PRWeek, World Energy Solutions recently partnered with Horn Group to help drive exposure of their exchange built specifically for the green credit and green power industry. World GreenExchange creates a trusted, transparent marketplace for the buying and selling of green energy products. Based on a commercially proven and award winning exchange platform, World GreenExchange is the most efficient means to extract the best value for green assets including carbon credits and renewable energy credits.

Horn Group has partnered with World Energy Solutions in order to educate the market on their unique exchange model, as well as help establish World Energy as a thought leader in the green sector. Horn Group will be further establishing World Energy as a thought leader in the green sector through strategic national media relations, speaking opportunities and more.

"The tremendous attention driven towards the 'green sector' has created hype and hyperbole," said Horn Group's Len Dieterle. "Our ability to educate the market on the need for a trusted marketplace, while resonating clearly through all of the green noise, hinges on our ability to tell the story on a national platform. World Energy partnered with Horn Group to not only leverage our experienced media relations professionals, but our ability to deliver World GreenExchange's key strategic value to the world."

Horn Group to Launch Dealing with Darwin by Best-Selling Author Geoffrey A. Moore

Mon, 25 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0600

Monday, July 25, 2005 - New York, NY - Horn Group today announced that the firm has been chosen to launch Geoffrey Moore's forthcoming book, Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution. The new book, which will be published in January 2006, posits that while most companies recognize that innovation is key to competitive differentiation, few actually do it well. Dealing with Darwin develops new mental models and establishes a new vocabulary for focusing on innovation and overcoming inertia, outlining best practices that enterprises can adopt to maximize success in the "survival of the fittest" business climate. This launch continues Horn Group's long-standing relationship with Geoffrey Moore, having introduced all of his best-selling books over the past 10 years, beginning with the "Chasm" series (Crossing the Chasm, Inside the Tornado, The Gorilla Game), and most recently, Living on the Fault Line.

In the consulting business, publishing a new book is like a launching new product, and Horn Group's proven expertise in that arena has proved invaluable to me," said Moore. "With each book we target a phrase that we hope to make part of the business lexicon, and so far we are batting 1000.

Horn Group's approach to promotion will combine widespread media outreach to business, broadcast, trade, vertical and online outlets to leverage the book's thought provoking content and the author's renowned name. These activities will be integrated with publisher Portfolio's planned marketing and publicity initiatives for Dealing with Darwin.

We are thrilled to be working with Geoff once again for the launch of his new book. Dealing with Darwin promises to be influential not only to the technology industry but to Fortune 500 companies across many sectors," said Sabrina Horn, Horn Group's president and CEO. "Geoff has been an incredible partner and friend to us for many years, and we're very excited to bring this new book to the media community.

About the Author
Geoffrey A. Moore is managing partner of TCG Advisors, a consulting practice that provides business and marketing strategy services to prominent high-technology companies. He is also a venture partner with Mohr, Davidow Ventures, a prestigious Silicon Valley venture capital firm, and founder of The Chasm Group. An accomplished writer and highly sought after business consultant, Moore is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and his books are required reading at Harvard, Stanford and other leading business schools. More than a million copies of Geoffrey Moore's books have been sold worldwide since the original publication of Crossing the Chasm.

About Horn Group Books
Horn Group has introduced some of technology industry's leading titles by John Hagel, Steve Martin, Geoffrey Moore and Patricia Seybold. Horn Group Books gives authors and publishers access to the firm's vast experience with the press and industry influencers, resulting in book review and excerpt placements, contributed articles, and speaking engagements at leading technology and business conferences. The firm leverages its relationships to secure book forwards, as well as quotes and testimonials. Horn Group Books serves as an extension of a publisher's marketing team and works directly with the publishing house on book signings, author appearances, book collateral development, and book messaging. Horn Group Books shares the publisher's goal of elevating an author's sphere of influence in a chosen market and ultimately creating "buzz" that will entice readers to buy the book.

For more information and a case study on Horn Group's pervious work with Geoffrey Moore, please visit http://www.horngroup.com/results/case_booklaunch.aspx.

Horn Group to Sponsor Software 2004 Conference

Wed, 14 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Horn Group is pleased to announce its involvement in Software 2004 - the first and only conference designed to address business and operating issues facing software industry executives. Software 2004 will be held at the San Francisco Marriott on March 1 st and 2 nd . Sabrina Horn, President and CEO, will host a panel on "How to Work with Press and Analysts."

The conference will address the changes shaping the software industry this year: What new business models are emerging for enterprise vendors? Is the IPO market back? What are visionary customers demanding from software vendors? What's hot in M&A? How can offshore development, services and support transform your company? Should you pay for Linux software?

Register now at www.software2004.com to receive all this at an affordable corporate membership package of $995. This includes admission for four (4) executives from your company at no extra cost. On January 31 the rate will rise to the full price of $1,195.

Predictions and Latest Thinking from Industry Visionaries

Ray Lane, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins and Former President of Oracle
Shai Agassi, Executive Board Member and Head of Development, SAP AG
Sanjay Kumar, CEO, Computer Associates
Darl McBride, CEO of SCO
Toby Redshaw, Vice President, IT Strategy, Motorola
Drew Ladner, CIO Department of the Treasury (invited)
Geoffrey Moore, Managing Director, TCG Advisors and author of bestsellers such as Crossing the Chasm
Romesh Wadhwani, CEO, Symphony Technology Group and Former Vice Chairman, i2 Technologies
Ed Zander, Chairman & CEO, Motorola

Analysis from Provocative Moderators and Expert Panels
Cut to the chase with Bruce Richardson (AMR Research), Peter Sobilof (Insight Venture Partners) and Tony Zingale (former president and CEO of Clarify). Take away key points from panels on timely topics such as new business models, capital markets, offshoring and sales and marketing strategies.

Education from Informative Workshops
Interactive sessions led by experts in general management, finance, sales, marketing, offshoring, engineering, technology, services and support. A partial list of topics includes "Building a high performance management team," "Setting up foreign subsidiaries," "ABCs of debt financing," "Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on small corporations,","How to position a software company for an acquisition," "Maximizing leverage with press and analysts," "Relationship selling," "Selling to the EU," "Retaining support revenues," "Accelerating product development cycles through interoperability labs," "Offshoring case studies," "A day in the life of a Chief Security Officer," and more.

Unprecedented Networking Opportunities
Meet your peers, size up your competitors, visit with top media and analysts, and make critical connections at lunch and evening gatherings. Monday evening's party features industry veteran Roger McNamee's Flying Other Brothers band. ( http://www.flyingotherbros.com )

Visit www.software2004.com to secure your reservation today. Don't hesitate to contact me at Horn Group if you have questions. We look forward to seeing you in March!

Horn Group, Inc. Annouces Technology Communications Strategy

Mon, 15 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0700

March 15, 2004 – San Francisco, Calif. – Horn Group, Inc. today announced its technology communications strategy. As part of its growth plan, Horn Group has expanded its services beyond traditional public relations to include interactive design and development and market research. The company appointed Gannon Hall to the newly created position Managing Director, Interactive Services. Previously, Hall was president of Hall Consulting, a successful web strategy and design firm and a long-time Horn Group partner. Horn Group introduced today its new brand and website at www.horngroup.com.

“Software companies typically partition their communications initiatives across multiple vendors, creating expensive and inefficient marketing programs,” said Sabrina Horn, president and CEO of Horn Group. “Horn Group challenges the old model by offering an integrated approach to technology communications that combines several disciplines to make a more powerful impact. Our expanded offering is backed by 10 years of quality and results from partnership with Hall Consulting. We’re fortunate that Gannon is now a part of our team.”

Technology Communications
Horn Group has always offered a full range of communications services through its partnerships. In recent years, as the PR industry suffered from budget cuts, Horn Group clients have shown an increased interest in integrated services that eliminate the high overhead of working with several vendors. But software companies also demand technology expertise and quality of service not often provided by mega firms. With an offering that strikes this balance, Horn Group expects its technology communications strategy to fuel growth in 2004 and beyond. Company and product introductions are prime for integrated campaigns – tying together strategy and positioning, web design, interactive product tours, press and analyst relations, and new company or product collateral – for a more successful launch. To see samples of Horn Group’s new services, visit www.horngroup.com/services/is.aspx.

“Horn Group has been our public relations partner for two years, and as a client, this expansion makes great sense,” said Cheryl Haines, Director of Marketing at Serena Software. “PR is powerful for communicating key messages and generating visibility with press and analysts. However, to be effective, a PR program must be driven by solid market research, competitive intelligence and innovative vehicles for communicating with customers and investors. Adding additional elements such as interactive services to Horn Group’s core business creates some interesting efficiencies and synergies.”

Gannon Hall, Managing Director, Interactive Services
As managing director, Gannon leads Horn Group’s Interactive Services practice. He has a decade of experience developing interactive solutions for technology companies, bringing to the agency a distinctive mix of strategic, technical and creative expertise. He has developed award-winning solutions for companies including AvantGo (Sybase), Commerce One, Norwest Venture Partners, Pacific Telesis Group, PlaceWare (Microsoft) and Vitria. For several years prior to joining Horn Group, Gannon ran Hall Consulting, his own interactive design and development firm, successfully helping over 50 technology companies realize the full potential of interactive marketing. He has held senior development positions at Pacific Telesis Group, and is an industry spokesperson for press and analysts.

About Horn Group
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth – from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston, and New York, Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group, Inc. Launches Book Promotion Practice

Thu, 26 Feb 2004 00:00:00 -0700

New York, NY - February 26, 2004 - Leading technology communications firm Horn Group, Inc. today announced Horn Group Books, a business and technology book promotion practice, to publicize pioneering industry authors. The firm has also appointed Erin Brown Senior Book Publicist. Leveraging its technology public relations experience and capitalizing on several best-selling book launches, including titles by industry authorities Geoffrey Moore and Patricia Seybold, Horn Group is expanding its effort to help authors, their agents and publishers bring books to market more effectively.

"Book promotions grew organically at Horn Group and became a gem of a business, one that has evolved into a formal practice to help authors communicate their messages to a broader market," said Sabrina Horn, CEO of Horn Group. "Horn Group has always been at the forefront of industry innovation and advancement, and promoting provocative views - such as those in Technology Paradise Lost by industry veteran Erik Keller - is a natural extension of what we do."

Horn Group is currently promoting Keller's April 2004 release, Technology Paradise Lost: Why Companies Will Spend Less to Get More from Information Technology (Manning Publications). In the book, Keller - a 20 year industry veteran and fomer Gartner Group analyst - contends that IT spending will decline due to a fundamental shift in the way companies buy and use technology. Keller argues companies will increasingly rely on technology, but will do so by spending less on IT and thus end the phenomenal growth of the computer industry of the past decade.

Erin Brown has been appointed Senior Book Publicist and will lead Horn Group Books. Erin brings more than a dozen years of PR and writing experience to the role. She joined Horn Group in 2000 and is a founding member of the company's New York office. She has promoted titles with Hungry Minds, Financial Times Prentice Hall, Manning Publications, and AMACOM. Prior to Horn Group, Erin was a news writer and producer at the Associated Press, WBZ-4 TV in Boston, and WBAL-TV in Baltimore, Maryland. Erin holds a B.A. in Literature and a Master's Certificate in Publishing.

Horn Group has introduced some of technology's leading titles, including Patricia Seybold's Customers.com and Geoffrey Moore's 'Chasm' series (Crossing the Chasm, Inside the Tornado, The Gorilla Game), securing coverage in the nation's leading news outlets - including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, Denver Post, Chicago Sun-Times, CNBC, Bloomberg, and Delta Airlines' in-flight SKY magazine. Through these accomplishments, Horn Group has developed partnerships with influential publishing houses such as Crown Business, an imprint of Random House, Harvard Business School Press, Hungry Minds, Harpers, AMACOM, and its current partner, Manning Publications. Last year, Horn Group promoted four titles with Pearson imprint Financial Times Prentice Hall.

Through Horn Group Books, authors and publishers benefit from the firm's vast experience with the press and industry influencers, resulting in book review and excerpt placements, contributed articles for authors, and speaking engagements at leading technology and business conferences. The firm leverages its relationships to secure book forwards, as well as quotes and testimonials. Horn Group Books serves as an extension of a publisher's marketing team and works directly with the publishing house on book signings, author appearances, book collateral development, and book messaging. Horn Group Books shares the publisher's goal of elevating an author's sphere of influence in a chosen market and ultimately creating "buzz" that will entice readers to buy the book.

"Horn Group has represented several of our authors and has a unique ability to promote both business and technology books," said James Levine, Principal at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, Inc. "They have the right contacts and ideas, and are thorough and thought provoking in their work."

About Horn Group
Horn Group, Inc. is a leading independent technology communications firm in the United States. The company works with business technologists and companies at every stage of growth. Horn Group Books, the firm's book publicity division, works with authors and publishers to take their message to market, build thought leadership, and increase book sales. Horn Group has successfully elevated provocative ideas from some of the country's leading business and technology authors. Located in New York, San Francisco, and Boston, Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service, and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Horn Group, Inc. Sponsors MIT Enterprise Forum's "Beyond the Curve: Macroeconomic Trends Affecting Entrepreneurship in Massachusetts"

Thu, 06 May 2004 00:00:00 -0600

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 6, 2004 - Horn Group, Inc., a leading national technology communications firm, announced today its sponsorship of "Beyond the Curve: Macroeconomic Trends Affecting Entrepreneurship in Massachusetts," a MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge conference. Taking place on May 8 at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge in Cambridge, Mass., the conference brings together industry recognized technology innovators and business leaders to examine what role macroeconomic trends play in determining a company's success or failure.

"Our seven years of experience working with New England's technology providers has taught us that a company's success is determined not just by good products and great management, but also by factors such as macroeconomic trends that are often outside of anyone's control," said Mara Bartucca, Boston-based partner of Horn Group, Inc. "By analyzing past, current and future trends, entrepreneurs can leverage and incorporate the success factors critical to a company's long-term success. This conference brings together Massachusetts' best and brightest to help identify those factors."

MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge is a nationally recognized resource for entrepreneurs and emerging business. The Beyond the Curve conference is designed for established business leaders, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs to examine the social and technological forces that will affect business over the next several years. The one-day conference features three high-level panel discussions - Trends in Capital Markets, Trends in Innovation and Trends in Technology.

The conference takes place on Saturday, May 8, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, 575 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA. To register, please visit: https://www.regsecure.net/mit/MIT_forum_spring_04_register.htm.

About Horn Group
Horn Group, Inc. provides communications services to technology companies at every stage of growth - from start-ups that need visibility to large corporations striving to build market leadership. An established and independent firm, Horn Group offers integrated services that reach press, analysts, customers, partners, investors and employees. Services include public relations, web site and graphic design, and market research. Located in San Francisco, Boston and New York, Horn Group has earned national recognition for its excellence in client service and employment practices. More information can be obtained at www.horngroup.com.

Journalists Rank Agency Top Communicator for Third Year

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0600

San Francisco, CA. - August 13, 2008 - Horn Group has been honored as a top mid-sized PR agency in a survey of 300 journalists by PRSourceCode in its annual Top Tech Communicators study announced yesterday. This is the third year Horn Group has been recognized by journalists as a top agency in this survey. The results recognize and validate Horn Group's understanding and commitment to the importance of honest, respectful and reciprocal relationships between PR people and journalists. "We congratulate Horn Group for once again placing in the top 5 of our 2008 Top Tech Communicators study for mid-sized agencies," said Brent Papson. "Clearly Horn Group is held in high regard by media professionals -- the feedback about their firm we receive each year is always impressive.

"Unlike other industry awards, PRSourceCode's survey captures the opinions and preferences of journalists, which is an important measure of a firm's connections and reputation," said Shannon Latta, partner at Horn Group. "Clients expect us to have meaningful relationships in the editorial community, so we're proud to be recognized as a Top Tech Communicator three years in a row.

Those surveyed included the editorial communities from IT trade media, vertical IT books and consumer-oriented news outlets such as USA Today and U.S. News and World Report. The "Top Tech Communicators" findings are based on an online survey of the editorial staffs requesting nominations for the PR agency and corporate PR department that add the most value to their editorial processes, in terms of responsiveness, reliability, and overall recognition of editorial needs. Respondents rated each winner based on best overall performance.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in PR, social media and interactive services. The agency represents companies at every stage of growth to help them tell their stories to the people that matter in print, in person and on the web. Services include brand and message development, creative design, social media strategy, public relations, and web development. The agency has been awarded the Web Marketing Association's 2006 and 2007 WebAward and the 2006 Bell Ringer Award for media relations. Horn Group was ranked best-mid sized agency in PRSourceCode's 2005 and 2006 survey of reporters and the firm continues to be noted as a Best Agency to Work For in the Holmes Report. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York. Visit www.horngroup.com.

Journalists Rank Horn Group as ‘Best of the Best’ For Second Year In a Row In PR SourceCode's Annual Study

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0600

On July 24, 2007, PR SourceCode released its annual Top Tech Communicators study where Horn Group was selected as the top mid-sized PR agency in a survey of 300 IT journalists. The second annual PR SourceCode study honored Horn Group as the top performer in its category for the second year in a row. The survey rankings are timely and relevant to the discussion taking place between PR professionals and journalists about relationships, value and authenticity.

Those surveyed included the editorial community from IT trade media such as Computerworld, eWEEK, and InformationWeek; vertical IT books, such as the healthcare community’s Healthcare IT News and Healthcare Informatics; and IT reporters at consumer-oriented news outlets such as USA Today and U.S. News and World Report. The “Top Tech Communicators” findings are based on an online survey of the editorial staffs of the leading IT publications, requesting nominations for the PR agency and corporate PR department that add the most value to their editorial processes, in terms of responsiveness, reliability, and overall recognition of editorial needs. Respondents rated each winner based on best overall performance.

"Our clients depend on the strong relationships we've cultivated within the editorial community, so we are particularly proud of this recognition as a Top Tech Communicator," said Dee Anna McPherson, principal of Horn Group. "We focus on helping our clients tell interesting and unique stories and navigate the changing media landscape, shorter news cycles and increasing influence of social media."

New Clients and Accolades for Horn Group PR and Communications

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0600

San Francisco, CA - October 31, 2007 - Horn Group, Inc. today announced that fifteen top-tier business technology and consumer Internet companies have chosen the firm for public relations and digital marketing services. These new clients are represented across Horn Group's offices in San Francisco, Boston and New York, with total annualized revenue of more than $3 million. Each of the engagements includes a mix of the agency's integrated services such as strategic marketing, creative branding, public relations, and web design.

"The technology sector is continuing its frenzied state and our clients want guidance on how to emerge from crowded fields and differentiate their offerings," said Sabrina Horn, President and CEO of Horn Group. "We're excited about our role in building and establishing these organizations into market leaders."

Business Technology
Building on its heritage in enterprise technology, Horn Group is now working with:

Appian, Vienna, VA, a provider of business process management software suites
Brainshark, Waltham, MA, who delivers on-demand business communication solutions
Genius.com, San Mateo, CA, who provides 1-to-1 marketing solutions for sales and marketing professionals
Model N, Redwood Shores, CA, which offers revenue management software
Oceanlake Commerce, Toronto, CA, a developer of intelligent mobile technology
Riverbed Technology, San Francisco, CA, the worldwide technology and market share leader in wide area data services
Stratavia, Denver, CO, focused on IT automation software and services

Content and New Media
Harnessing the growth in content and new media, Horn Group continues to add new clients that are feeding Web 2.0:

CMP Technology, San Francisco, CA, a media and marketing solutions companies with online, event and print brands
Children's Way, Oren, UT, a non-profit that uses the Internet to teach kids how to balance their lives through safe Internet use, family connections and community involvement
Ensequence, Portland, OR, provider of interactive TV products and services
Register.com, New York, NY, offering global domain name registration and Internet services
Wikinvest, San Francisco, CA, the first personal finance and investment WIKI

Success in Interactive Advertising
Building on its success with Right Media, Horn Group has established a core competency in online advertising and has engaged with these new clients in the space:

Adify, San Bruno, CA, enables anyone to build vertical advertising networks to create niche online communities
Clickable, New York, NY, makes managing search marketing simple and effective
NebuAd, Redwood City, CA, is creating the first consumer-centric behavioral targeting network

In addition to these client wins, Horn Group was recently recognized with four industry awards for its visual brand identity and interactive web design work for Right Media, now owned by Yahoo!:

Web Marketing Association's 2007 WebAward Advertising Standard of Excellence
2007 W3 Silver Award for Web Creativity
Sabre Award Finalist in the Technology Software Category
Graphic Design USA's American Graphic Design Award for Website Design

The agency's relationship with Right Media during the past year exemplifies Horn Group's integrated approach that combines public relations with interactive services to maximize marketing communications.

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a strategic communications firm specializing in PR and digital marketing. The agency represents technology companies at every stage of growth to help them tell their stories to the people that matter in print, in person and on the web. Services include brand and message development, creative design, media strategy, public relations, and web development. The agency has been awarded the Web Marketing Association's 2006 and 2007 WebAward and the 2006 Bell Ringer Award for media relations. Horn Group was ranked best-mid sized agency in PRSourceCode 2005 and 2006 survey of reporters and the firm continues to be noted as a Best Agency to Work For in the Holmes Report. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in San Francisco, New York and Boston. Visit www.horngroup.com.

Sabrina Horn Named Finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award in the Metro New York Area

Wed, 25 May 2005 00:00:00 -0600

NEW YORK, NY, May 25, 2005 - Professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP announced today finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Awards 2005 in the metro New York area. Sabrina Horn, Horn Group's president and CEO is one of 31 finalists from 24 companies selected by a panel of independent judges. Winners will be announced at an awards banquet on June 15th at the New York City Grand Hyatt. The first award of its kind, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses. The program honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 100 cities and 35 countries.

Successful First Year for Oriella PR Network

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700

London, UK and San Francisco, CA, 19 December 2007 - The Oriella PR Network, the alliance of communications agencies in 20 countries around the world formed by Brands2Life and Horn Group, last month completed its first year of operation. New agency partners have been added in France and Poland during the year and several new marketing initiatives for 2008 are announced.

New agencies joining the network in 2007 include Ballou PR and Clipping-TU in France, as well as MDI Strategic Solutions in Poland which extends the network’s reach into Eastern Europe. All three are fast-growing, independent agencies with specific expertise in the technology sector. The Oriella PR Network continues to welcome agencies in other regions who wish to apply to join the network.

In the first of a series, Oriella will host a webinar examining the impact the Chinese market will have on the PR industry in 2008. Entitled “China 2008: Communications in Olympic Year”, the webinar will take place at 9:00 a.m. PST/4:00 p.m. GMT on January 8, 2008. The session will include speakers from Horn Group and Upstream Asia, Oriella’s partner across Asia-Pacific, focusing on the opportunities in China as a result of its emergence as an economic power and how marketers across the globe can best equip themselves to take advantage of them. For more information or to register for the webinar, click here.

In the year it hosts the biggest sporting event on the planet, China is seeing one of the fastest ever rates of economic growth and estimates are that this will continue in 2008. Marketing and communications professionals across the globe now have more opportunities than ever to break into this market.

“We want to drive a discussion on this topic as it is appearing on most of our clients’ agendas right now,” said Shannon Latta, partner at Horn Group and co-head of the Oriella PR Network. “The possibilities for expansion into China are almost endless, but as it is a completely new market for many enterprises and agencies, there is still a certain degree of confusion on how best to enter this market. With this webinar, we aim to break down some of the barriers that currently hinder entrance to the Chinese market and offer best practice advice and strategy on how to take advantage of these possibilities.”

The announcement of the first Oriella PR Network webinar accompanies the launch of the Oriella PR Network website. The website, www.oriellaprnetwork.com, showcases the alliance of 15 communications agencies across five continents. It includes background on all members, global PR best practices, and breaking news about Oriella partners. It also features the work of three companies who have used multiple Oriella agencies in 2007 – Kalido, Micro Focus and Webex.

“We are aiming to create the most effective international network of independent PR agencies in the world today,” said Giles Fraser, co-head of the Oriella PR Network and co-founder of Brands2Life. “Many technology companies recognize the benefits of working with the best local agencies and prefer not to be tied to the limitations of a multi-national firm. Often local boutique agencies have difficulty scaling to provide clients a common standard of service and results on a multi-national basis. The Oriella PR Network was built to preserve the agile and responsive trademarks of boutique agencies while still providing the infrastructure of a larger network when the need arises. The launch of the website highlights to businesses and partners alike that we now have a truly integrated approach to public relations and can offer clients, existing and potential, the means to promote and publicise their offerings into whichever market they wish to expand.”

About the Oriella Network
The Oriella PR Network is an alliance of 15 communications agencies in 20 countries around the world. Our partnership of independent agencies was built upon a set of global best practices and close working relationships not offered by others of its kind. The network was founded by Brands2Life and Horn Group with the support of agencies around the world with whom they have worked successfully on client projects - in some case for many years. Oriella partners exist in major and secondary markets throughout The Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific.

Horn Group Recognized as a Top Communications Agency for Fourth Consecutive Year in Annual PRSourceCode Survey of Journalists

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0600

San Francisco, CA. - July 28, 2009 - Horn Group has been honored as a top mid-sized agency in a survey of 500 journalists by PRSourceCode in its annual Top Tech Communicators study announced today. This is the fourth year Horn Group has been recognized as a top agency in the survey.

"The mix of people who participated - writers from enduring technology trades to the hottest industry blogs - is a good reflection of the new media landscape," said Shannon Latta, partner at Horn Group. "The opinions of the editorial community are one of the legitimate measures of a firm's credibility. This is an important distinction for us and we're proud to be recognized as a Top Tech Communicator four years in a row."

According to the journalists who participated in the fourth annual survey, five qualities separate the best communicators from the pack:

•    Familiarity with the publication
•    Knowledge of the industry
•    Working to build relationships
•    Putting the editor's agenda before their own
•    Responsiveness

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in PR, social media and interactive design. The agency represents companies at every stage of growth to help establish and promote their brands and engage with their audience in any medium. Services include brand strategy and message development, creative and interactive design, social media strategy, public relations and web development. The company has been recognized a best mid-sized PR agency for four consecutive years in PRSourceCode's annual Top Tech Communicators survey; has won several awards for interactive web design and video production; and is frequently noted as a Best Employer and Best Place to Work. The company was founded by Sabrina Horn in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York.

Horn Group Announces Four New eCommerce Clients as Holiday Shopping Season Gets Underway

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0600

SAN FRANCISCO - Dec. 2, 2009 - Horn Group, Inc., a top digital communications agency in the U.S., has added four new clients to their online retail clientele signaling a shift in consumer sentiment towards spending. The new clients include:

CardStore.com - a custom holiday and photo cards e-retailer based in Berkeley, Calif.
Ebates.com - a leader in online cash back shopping based in San Francisco, Calif.
SquareTrade - the largest independent warranty provider, based in San Francisco
WhiteFence - a free service that helps people find the best deals on home television, internet, telephone, electricity and gas services based in Houston, TX

"The holiday season is the most important time of year for our business, so it was the right time for us to bring on a new agency," said Marty Reed, Cardstore.com president and CEO. "Horn Group demonstrated the right mix of creative thinking and social media chops to help us reach our demographic and interact with consumers in a meaningful way."

"eCommerce is one of those segments that has survived the recession and appears to be gaining momentum," said Horn Group's president and CEO Sabrina Horn. "The convenience of shopping online and the price/performance that many of these sites offer are drawing more shoppers than physical stores."

Horn Group has added new team members in its San Francisco office to support this growth in online retail clientele. The firm is AOR for each of these four companies and is providing integrated social media, public relations and interactive design services.

Forrester Research Inc. predicts that online retail sales in November and December will grow 8 percent this year to $44.7 billion. According to Forrester's US Online Holiday Retail Forecast, 2009 (November 2009), among 4,000 online consumers surveyed, 94 percent have made a purchase online in the past three months and plan to do the same for the holidays. According to the report, "despite the lingering effects of the recession, the online space remains the retail industry's growth engine."

About Horn Group, Inc.
Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in public relations, social media marketing and interactive design. The company has been recognized a best mid-sized agency for four consecutive years in PRSourceCode's annual Top Tech Communicators survey; has won several awards for interactive web design and video production; and is frequently noted as a Best Employer and Best Place to Work. The company was founded by Sabrina Horn in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York.

PRWeek Interview: What it Means to Truly be a Digital Communications Shop

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Interview: Sabrina Horn, founder and CEO, the Horn Group.

Aarti Shah speaks with Sabrina Horn, founder/CEO of the Horn Group, about what it means to truly be a digital communications shop.

"Does Your PR Drive Leads?" -- Webinar on January 27

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Whether you like it or not, if you’re responsible for marketing or communications inside your organization, you’re being measured on PR’s effectiveness at driving leads. The value of PR doesn’t stop at relationships and building brand awareness. But how do you focus your program (and your dollars) around strategies and campaigns that will have the most impact on the bottom line?

Join Horn Group and featured client Pontiflex, creators of the first open Cost Per Lead market, for a one hour webinar on January 27 at 10:00 am PDT that will address:

The model for designing PR strategies that drive leads
Campaign tactics for increasing awareness, affinity and demand conversion
Budget – where you spend is more important than how much you spend
Accountability – how to measure if PR is driving leads
Candid successes and challenges from Arun Krishnan, VP of Marketing, Pontiflex

This discussion is for any corporate marketer or agency communicator who is interested in recession-proofing their role and increasing value to their organizations. See the full invitation details and register here.

Moving beyond hype in the visual brand experience

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

PR is changing as we speak. The tools and fundamentals are different, and its people need new and different skills. Yet while some of the tactics and channels have changed or gone away, its core influence, like many industries, has stayed the same. Never mind managing our agencies through a recession and a longer recovery; we need now to continue to shape our business and evolve with it at the same time. It's a lot like building a car as you're driving it.

Horn Group Adds Executive Talent

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Linda Clarke Joins Top Agency as Managing Director to Run and Grow San Francisco Office; Ben Billingsley Promoted to Principal in New York

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – March 24, 2010 – Horn Group, Inc., a top digital communications agency in the U.S., has announced the hire of Linda Clarke as Managing Director in its San Francisco office. She is responsible for running the agency’s San Francisco office on all fronts – client strategy, business development and office operations. Clarke joins the company’s executive team and reports to agency partner Shannon Latta.

Clarke brings a strong background as a marketing and public relations executive to Horn Group, spanning more than twenty years. She has experience developing brand positions, marketing strategies, and communications programs for business and consumer technology companies. Her most recent role was Executive Vice President of Eastwick Communications headquartered in the Bay Area where she worked for almost four years. She previously held Vice President of Marketing roles at industry leading software companies Autodesk, Baan and Adobe Systems, as well as start-ups including PSS Systems, a developer of information retention solutions, and ePeople, an on-demand, collaborative CRM provider.

“Sabrina and I met with dozens of remarkable people during this search.In addition to her impressive professional career, Linda has the personal qualities we were looking for – leadership, imagination, smarts and humor,” said Horn Group partner Shannon Latta. “Linda has great chops as an agency executive, but her experience as a vice president of marketing gives her a perspective on digital communications that will deliver immediate value to clients and employees. I’m delighted she’s on board.”

Ben Billingsley Promoted to Agency Principal

Ben Billingsley, who leads Horn Group’s office in New York, was recently promoted to Principal there. Since joining the agency three years ago, the revenue and team have doubled in New York. Billingsley has built a thriving digital media practice – representing some of the top interactive advertising and online video companies – that has become a trademark specialty of the agency. He reports to Horn Group president and CEO Sabrina Horn and was previously at CooperKatz and Company.

About Horn Group

Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in public relations, social media marketing and interactive design. The company has been recognized as a best mid-sized agency for four consecutive years in PRSourceCode's annual Top Tech Communicators survey; has won several awards for interactive web design and video production; and is frequently noted as a Best Employer and Best Place to Work. The company was founded by Sabrina Horn in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York.

Horn Group Lands Gannett Digital Account

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Joe Ciarallo of Mediabistro reports on Horn Group's newest client Gannett Digital, which will be managed primarily from the New York office. Horn Group has been named agency of record for Gannett Digital companies PointRoll, Ripple6, and Gannett Digital Media Network.

Horn Group's Ed Garcia Discusses Intelligent Firewalls

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Horn Group, Yahoo Internal Team Handle PR Around Yahoo's Acquisition of Associated Content

Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Joe Ciarallo of PRNewser reports on the acquisition of Horn Group client Associated Content by Yahoo!.

Sabrina Horn on PRWeek Insider

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Business is improving and there is definitely an uptick in client activity. The optimism in the market is fueling expanded campaigns and initiatives. After the massive constraints of last year, its almost difficult to remember how we did things before. As difficult as 2009 was, the challenge in 2010 is to navigate how we unravel ourselves from that environment...

Sabrina Horn in The Age

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Sabrina Horn offers readers of The Age advice on securing VC funding. She explains that VC's are financial poeple and that everything you show them should have a financial upside: be it your technology, strength of your team, or market opportunity.

Horn Group and Oriella PR Network on Silicon Valley Watcher

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Shannon Latta, partner and EVP at Horn Group Inc. discusses the lastest results from the Oriella PR Network's Digital Journalism Study 2010.

Oriella PR Network in PRNewser

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Joe Ciarallo of PRNewser highlights the recent Digital Journalism Study commissioned by the Oriella PR Network that surveyed over 750 Journalists across more than 21 countries to find the current digital trends in relation to the Journalism industry. More information and the complete study can be found at: www.orielladigitaljournalism.com.

Horn Group in PRWeek

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

PRWeek highlights Horn Group momentum who sees 30 percent growth in 2010 as they add 15 new clients and $1.8 million in annualized revenue. Among those clients include Xirrus and Chile IT.

Horn Group Adds 15 New Clients in the First Half of 2010; Celebrates 19 Years in Business

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Horn Group, Inc., a digital communications agency, has added 15 new clients in the first half of 2010 representing $1.8 million in annualized revenue. With these additions to its client portfolio, Horn Group expects to grow 30% over last year. The company also celebrated 19 years in business last month.

New clients in Horn Group's San Francisco office include:

AmBAR - the American Business Association of Russian-Speaking Professionals that recently organized Silicon Valley's first VC Trip to Russia
BitDefender - a top global antivirus software provider
Engine Yard - a leading cloud computing platform for Ruby on Rails
Marketo - a revenue-focused marketing automation company
ServiceSource - a service revenue performance company
Splunk - an IT search company
Xirrus - high performance WiFi solutions

Some of the new clients in Horn Group's New York office include:

Chile IT - a public/private partnership to promote Chilean technologiy companies and the country's IT industry
Magnetic - a search data marketplace that enables search re-targeting for advertisers and publishers
Spencer Trask - an early stage venture firm focused on communications, information technology, and life sciences sectors
SocialShield - Internet safety parenting tools

"As our industry starts to show signs of recovery, clients are being more creative about how to effectively reach their audiences with original content, from brand-building videos to surveys to info-graphics that feed the media's appetite for data," said Shannon Latta, partner and EVP at Horn Group. "Our strategy to provide a wide range of digital communications services, including interactive design, is paying off and we're bullish about our 2010 business outlook."

"Horn Group has the most enduring agency reputation in the technology industry. Sabrina Horn had a vision almost 20 years ago for building a different kind of agency. To this day, her team combines insight and imagination to create relevant campaigns for their clients. I trust Horn Group to deliver meaningful results for our business," said Van Diamondakis, vice president of marketing at ServiceSource and a four-time recurring client over the past 10 years.

Agency Launches New Portfolio at www.horngroup.com/portfolio

In May, Horn Group launched a new portfolio on its website that features recent interactive, design and video projects created by its Interactive Services team in the last 12 months. One notable highlight, the company has produced half a dozen video and Flash demo projects in just the last 30 days - a good indicator that interest in online video is continuing to mount.

Agency Thought Leadership Events

Horn Group also played central roles in two thought leadership events this Spring. Surprise You're A Media Company!, held in San Francisco on March 30^th, was a Horn Group-hosted industry panel focused on the increasing requirement for companies to develop original content. The event was moderated by Sam Whitmore of SWMS and panelists included:

Charlene Li, Founder of Altimeter Group
John Byrne, Former BussinessWeek.com Editor-In-Chief and Founder of C-Change
Karen Wickre, Senior Manager of Global Communications and Public Affairs at Google
Don Bulmer, VP of Global Communications at SAP

In New York, the agency sponsored and led media relations efforts for the April 26 VideoSchmooze, a panel discussion with video industry experts and media, focused on the implications of online and mobile video shifting from free, ad-supported models to paid models.

About Horn Group, Inc.

Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in public relations, interactive design and social media. It represents hot start-ups and established brands in enterprise technology, SaaS, digital media, and consumer Internet sectors. The company has been recognized as a best mid-sized agency for four consecutive years in PRSourceCode's annual Top Tech Communicators survey; has won several awards for interactive web design and video production; and is frequently noted as a Best Employer and Best Place to Work. The company was founded by Sabrina Horn in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York.

Digital Media Dominates As Publications Negotiate Advertising Slump

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

New international study by Oriella PR Network finds journalists generally happy with their jobs and positive about the impact of digital media on news-gathering, despite uncertainty around "offline" media

Paid content is gaining ground: one fifth of journalists confirm publications are researching paid content models including apps and micropayments

Journalists today have greater demands than ever on their time; have less scope to research stories; and work in an environment of continued uncertainty, according to a study published today by the Oriella PR Network. For all these challenges, however, the third annual Digital Journalism Study finds journalists positive about the impacts of digital and social media on their reporting, and overall job satisfaction remains overwhelmingly high.

The study polled 774 journalists in 21 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Brazil and Germany, and found that:

Nearly half of the respondents (46 percent) to this year's study said they are expected to produce more content than before
One in three (30 percent) are working longer hours
However, nearly half (46 percent) said their work has improved as a result of digital and social media - an increase from 39 percent in 2009
Just 17 percent said their job satisfaction had declined as a result

At the same time, the study uncovered growing uncertainty over the future of 'offline' media, such as print, TV and radio, including:

Forty percent of the respondents expect advertising revenues to fall by more than a tenth
Over half of the respondents expressed the belief that their publications' current offline formats may fold at some point in the future (2009 figure: 32 percent)
However, 40 percent - and more than half of those polled in the U.S., the U.K., Spain, Brazil and Eastern Europe - believed that the transition to new media would create new opportunities.

In response, growing numbers of publications are researching, or have implemented paid-content strategies. Nearly one respondent in four (22 percent) said their publication is researching or has launched smart phone apps in order to deliver paid-content to mobile users and 16 percent are researching paid-content for iPads and e-readers. Twenty-five percent said their publication is considering flat-rate subscriptions and nearly a third (30 percent) only offer online content to existing print subscribers.

The study also demonstrates the extent to which digital and social media - i.e. blogs, Twitter and audio/visual content - have embedded themselves in newsrooms. Fewer than 15 percent of the journalists surveyed said their publications support no social or digital media at all - down from nearly a quarter two years ago. Meanwhile, adoption of blogs and Twitter has continued to grow, with 47 percent saying their publications have journalist-authored blogs, and 40 percent saying their publications use Twitter.

Shannon Latta, co-head of the Oriella PR Network and partner at Horn Group, said: "Our third annual study shows how widely digital and social media have embedded themselves into media organisations. While there is still a lot of experimentation going on, it is clear that publications see the greatest opportunities in their digital operations - not just in terms of offering new platforms for publishing content, but also in terms of making that content pay."

"As these changes play out in newsrooms, communicators should expect journalists to become more demanding: their content needs to be high quality to attract the revenues media bosses expect. Brand communicators must make sure their public relations is coordinated across both social and conventional media, and addresses the basic requirements of news-gathering: strong news hooks, timely and compelling comment, and excellent, relevant visuals."

About the 2010 Digital Journalism Study

The third annual Oriella Digital Journalism Study was compiled in May and June 2010, using an online survey of 774 journalists from broadcast, national, regional and trade media across Belgium, Brazil, Eastern Europe, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, The U.K. and The U.S. This year includes journalists from Brazil, Eastern Europe and the U.S. for the first time. The full report can be downloaded from: www.orielladigitaljournalism.com (registration required).

About the Oriella PR Network

The Oriella PR Network is an alliance of 17 communications agencies in 20 countries around the world. Our partnership of independent agencies was built upon a set of global best practices and close working relationships not offered by others of its kind. The network was founded by Brands2Life and Horn Group with the support of agencies around the world with whom they have worked successfully on client projects - in some cases for many years. Oriella partners exist in major and secondary markets throughout The Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific.

For further information:

Website: www.oriellaprnetwork.com

Blog: www.oriellaprnetwork.com/blog

Twitter: twitter.com/oriellanetwork

Linda Clarke in PRWeek

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Linda Clarke, managing director of Horn Group's San Francisco office discusses internal employee communications and how best to engage employees with the current rebound in the PR job market.

Horn Group Replaces Wires with Wireless, Deploys Xirrus High Performance Wi-Fi Network

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Agency Continues Company Trend by Implementing New Client Technologies

SAN FRANCISCO - August 16, 2010 - Horn Group, Inc., a top digital communications agency, has deployed a high performance Wi-Fi network from its client Xirrus. By going from wired to 100% wireless, Horn Group is giving its employees the coverage, freedom, and flexibility to work reliably throughout the company's 30,000 square feet combined. The agency installed Xirrus XN8 Wi-Fi Arrays in both its San Francisco and New York offices. Xirrus is one of about a dozen client products and services that Horn Group has implemented over the years.

Ed Garcia, Horn Group's director of IT worked closely with Xirrus on the implementation of the new Wi-Fi network. "We were using consumer grade Wi-Fi as a convenience and I was skeptical that Wi-Fi had achieved the performance and reliability for enterprise use. But after 30 days of testing there have been no issues and people cannot tell the difference between their old wired and new Wi-Fi connectivity - so I told everyone to "go ahead, unplug the wires permanently"."

"We strive to represent companies that provide unique, game-changing products and services. Implementing our clients' technology takes the agency/client relationship to a different level and gives our account teams hands on experience with the companies they represent," said Horn Group CFO Bina Motiram. "We've made it a practice to implement our clients' products - from our time tracking system and HR software to storage solutions and useful social tools. This is a trend I expect to continue in our company."

Horn Group began working with Xirrus in June after a competitive three-month agency review. Xirrus is a privately-held Wi-Fi company and the leader in High Performance Wi-Fi, manufacturing the patented Wi-Fi Array, the only fully distributed, dense radio Wi-Fi architecture available in the industry today. The company was founded in 2004 by Dirk Gates (previously founded Xircom) and backed by strong investors including August Capital, Canaan Partners, InterWest, QuestMark Partners, and US Venture Partners. For more information, visit www.xirrus.com.

About Horn Group, Inc.

Horn Group is a digital communications firm specializing in public relations and interactive design. Its clients are hot start-ups and established brands in enterprise technology, SaaS, digital media, and consumer Internet sectors. The company has been recognized a best mid-sized agency for four consecutive years in PRSourceCode's annual Top Tech Communicators survey; has won several awards for interactive web design and video production; and is frequently noted as a Best Employer and Best Place to Work. The company was founded by Sabrina Horn in 1991 and is based in San Francisco and New York.